Era: Starting with the struggle to refuse being taken advantage of

Chapter 119 A Feast for the Eyes

In the courtyard, Wang Meiyan had been waiting outside for a long time. The moment she saw the two of them, she opened the door and warmly welcomed them in, saying:
"Sister An, Sister Xia, you've arrived just in time."

"Most of the dishes have already been served, with only the last three dishes still being prepared."

"Tonight's dinner was more luxurious than I could have ever dreamed of."

In fact, without Wang Meiyan's introduction, the two already knew just how lavish the meal was today.

As the distance decreased, the aromas permeating the air gradually became more concrete, allowing them to smell the scents of many different foods.

As they got closer, they indeed saw a table laden with delicious food.

Braised pork belly, braised fish, braised pork belly, four-happiness meatballs, stewed beef with potatoes, stewed chicken with mushrooms, and stir-fried tiger-skin eggs—each one is a truly hearty dish.

Not only the dishes, but also the staple food, rice, was carefully prepared.

Such a meal would be considered extremely luxurious, not just on ordinary days, but even during the Chinese New Year.

Even Xia Mingyue hesitated now, wondering if An Qiuyun could withstand Wang Chengpeng's help.

At this moment, Wang Tieshan and Liu Chunhua had already taken their seats, and he immediately extended a warm invitation to them to sit down, saying:
“My son said he was going to host a dinner for two good friends tonight, but I didn’t expect it to be Xia, an educated youth, and An, an educated youth.”

"I've just prepared some simple food, please don't mind, help yourselves and sit wherever you like."

As the only two female educated youths in the village, Xia Mingyue and An Qiuyun were quite well-known.

Although they may not be universally recognized, at least people can recognize their faces.

Just then, Wang Chengpeng came out carrying the last three dishes: a sauerkraut and pig's blood soup, a stir-fried potato shred with vinegar, and a stir-fried bok choy.

After placing the three dishes on the table, Wang Chengpeng smiled and said:
"I've just prepared some simple home-style dishes, please make do with them."

"Since we don't have any wine, we've prepared some fruit syrup instead. We hope you don't mind."

"If you have any suggestions for improving the taste, please feel free to let me know. It will help me improve my cooking skills."

Looking at the delicious-looking and fragrant food in front of her, An Qiuyun couldn't help but swallow hard and said:

"Comrade Wang, you are being far too modest. These are just ordinary home-cooked dishes. Your family is far too wealthy."

"Just for this meal, I will definitely help you if I can."

Wang Chengpeng smiled noncommittally. The term "home-style cooking" wasn't just him being modest; that's exactly how he felt about it.

His goal was to provide his family with such sumptuous and delicious meals every day, so that they could get a taste of what the Wang family's home-cooked meals would be like in the future.

No one could resist the temptation of such a large table of food. After exchanging a few polite words, everyone began to feast.

As guests, An Qiuyun and Xia Mingyue were still a little reserved, and they both reached for the stir-fried bok choy with their chopsticks at the same time.

This bok choy was only seasoned with a little salt, but thanks to the excellent cooking time, it became incredibly crisp and sweet, making a satisfying crunch in your mouth – absolutely delicious.

"Hey son, this is your favorite bok choy, eat more."

Seemingly noticing that the two were a little reserved, Liu Chunhua casually made up an excuse and moved the bok choy to the place furthest away from them.

They rearranged the dishes, bringing the main dishes closer to them, and said:
"Xiao An, Xiao Xia, you two must eat more."

"Such a big table of food, it would take our family of three countless days to eat it all."

"You two need to work harder and help us share the burden." As soon as she finished speaking, Liu Chunhua placed two chicken legs into their bowls, saying with concern:

"What a wonderful girl to have been sent to this remote rural area. She doesn't usually get to eat anything good. She should take advantage of this opportunity today and eat as much as she can."

After saying that, Liu Chunhua still felt it wasn't enough, so she put some more food on their plates, quickly piling it up into a small mountain in their bowls.

Feeling touched by Liu Chunhua's care, the two finally overcame their initial awkwardness and began to enjoy their meal.

Liu Chunhua is absolutely right. Wang Chengpeng prepared a very generous amount of food. If they didn't try their best to eat, they wouldn't even be able to finish half of it.

Both braised pork belly and steamed pork belly are tender, savory, and fragrant, yet they offer different flavors. Eating large chunks versus large slices provides different levels of satisfaction.

But they all have one thing in common: they are delicious.

The fatty meat isn't greasy, and the lean meat isn't dry; it's so delicious you can't put it down.

Mushroom stewed with hen has a rich and sweet chicken soup, tender and juicy chicken meat, and tender and crisp mushrooms, creating a unique taste.

……

Each dish has its own unique flavor, making people linger and want more.

This was the first time An Qiuyun felt that having too many delicious things wasn't a good thing, because it made it really difficult for her to choose.

Although she had a big appetite, she couldn't hold all the food, and in the end, she could only look at the table full of delicious dishes and regretfully ended the meal.

I wish I could eat such delicious food every day.

But Comrade Wang was unwilling to grant his request. What should he do? Was he destined to only be able to savor such delicious food in his dreams from now on?

Wait a minute, besides hiring him, there seems to be another, more secure way to keep Comrade Wang under control.

As if she had thought of something, An Qiuyun blushed subconsciously, then turned her head away, quickly hiding her expression.

The meal was enjoyed by both host and guests, and everyone got along well.

The reason for setting the time for the next evening was not only because there was not enough time that night, but also because Wang Chengpeng needed to practice his skills.

Otherwise, he really wouldn't have been able to cook such a delicious meal on his own.

After dinner, it was time to get down to business.

To avoid suspicion, the three of them came to the courtyard as usual, except that Xia Mingyue stood a little further away.

Without wasting any time, Wang Chengpeng got straight to the point, stating his purpose:

“An Zhiqing, I remember you said last time that you could introduce me to a job as a chef in the city?”

Hearing Wang Chengpeng's words, An Qiuyun looked at him with delight and said:
"What, Comrade Wang, you've actually thought it through and are willing to agree to my conditions?"

"Don't worry, I won't be too harsh on you. You don't need to have such a lavish meal every day. Just have one main dish every day."

If Wang Chengpeng agreed to her original conditions, then she wouldn't need to do anything extraordinary, which was a huge surprise for An Qiuyun.

However, just as An Qiuyun was overjoyed, she heard the words she least wanted to hear from Wang Chengpeng:

“An Zhiqing, I think you’ve misunderstood me.”

(End of this chapter)